


Date

by givemesomewings



Category: Daredevil (TV), The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-27
Updated: 2020-05-27
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:30:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24421333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/givemesomewings/pseuds/givemesomewings
Summary: Frank had been pussyfootin’ around the idea of going all the way with Red for a while now. All the blood they’d spilled together, plus all the late nights and early mornings had opened Frank’s eyes to how important Red was to him.
Relationships: Frank Castle/Matt Murdock
Comments: 15
Kudos: 77
Collections: Fratt Week





	Date

**Author's Note:**

> Edit: BLACK LIVES MATTER. Hopefully these words don’t feel out of place or uncomfortable to see for anyone. But as a black person and just as a human being, I really need this to be said as loudly and as often as possible. In any and all spaces that I inhabit.
> 
> This site and all of these amazing fics have always been a refuge for me. Consuming art is a great escape for when reality is too troubling, but I don’t want to escape anymore. I couldn’t even if I did. MY LIFE MATTERS.
> 
> I know most people are here just to read and enjoy Fratt Week, but the past 7 Days have been some of the most important and eye opening of my life. 
> 
> The fight for my rights and the fact that many people would rather see me dead more than anything else has been at the forefront of every aspect of my existence. It’s tough and it’s difficult, but that’s my reality.
> 
> I just wanted to set a precedent for any and all interactions I may have with anyone on this site or elsewhere, that again, BLACK LIVES MATTER. That cannot be said enough, as just acknowledging this fact is the least we can do in this fight. If you don’t agree with this or feel like this isn’t the “place” for this conversation to be had, please do not interact with me or my work from this point on.
> 
> *
> 
> Frank and Matt have a moment at a birthday party.
> 
> This is my first fic for Fratt Week 2020. It was written for the prompt “Date” and was loosely inspired by the song “Just Friends” by Amy Winehouse, which is also the song that Frank and Matt end up dancing to.
> 
> *
> 
> I planned to write a lot more but of course life got in the way 🥴. Hopefully I’ll be able to crank out a few more before the week’s over.

“Frank!” Curt yelled as soon as he saw him making his way across the backyard. The space was chock full of people. Streamers and balloons were tied to almost every surface. Food and a cake sat on a table in the middle of the whole thing.

Guests were spread out all across Curt’s lawn. Some chatting over drinks in red solo cups, some dancing like assholes to old music booming over speakers on either side of the yard. And basking in the glory of it all was the man of the hour.

Curtis was more tipsy than he expected, probably a lot closer to drunk than tipsy, actually. But Frank was glad. If anyone deserved to be celebrated like this, it was definitely Curtis. Though seeing his friend like this made his gift feel kind of stupid. But he was sure Curt would find some use for it.

“I didn’t think you’d show, man. What with that whole ‘aversion to people’ you can’t seem to get over,” he joked.

“Yeah, yeah,” Frank ignored the jibes. “You know you’re not ‘people’, Curt,” he smiled, wrapping one arm around the man in a quick embrace. He held out his gift, the neck of the long bottle peeking out over the top of the brown paper bag. Frank’s version of wrapping paper.

“Happy birthday, brother,” he presented the bottle of scotch. “Though, I’m starting to think you don’t need any more of this.”

“You know what, Frank? You might be right,” he laughed right back. “But that’s not gonna stop me.”

Curt took the bottle from him and peeled it out of the bag, whistling once he got a better look at it. “25 year old Bowman,” he said slowly, admiring the scotch. “Look at you, Castle. You better not be getting all fancy on me.”

“Never that, Curt, never that. Just figured you deserved something a little better than usual.”

Frank looked around the backyard one more time. “Nice set up you got here.”

“Yeah, Delia put it all together. I told her she didn’t have to do anything special but of course she went all out.”

“Hey, you should go all out. This is a special occasion! Not everyday you turn fifty,” he teased, earning a swift punch to his bicep.

“Now, you cut that shit out right now. I’m a spring chicken if there ever was one,” he joked back. “I’m in the prime of life. Never felt better.”

His eyes darted across Frank’s face before he continued. “And my youthful glow seems to be rubbing off on you, man. I’m noticing a distinct lack of cuts and bruises on that ugly mug of yours,” he smiled.

“Yeah, that’s all thanks to you, Curt. Who knows what I’d look like if you hadn’t been stitching me up all these years.”

“I can’t take all the credit. Some of the thanks goes to your partner in crime,” he responded. “I’m glad you got some back up out there, man. Helps me sleep a little better knowing you’ve got somebody else out there watching your six. Even if he is wearing that God awful costume.”

Frank chuckled. “Well, you’re right about the costume,” he said. “Seriously though, Curt, I have no idea where I’d be without you.”

“Ah man,” Curt waved his hands, trying to brush away that wave of compliments he knew was coming, but Frank wasn’t having it.

“No, I mean that shit, brother. You know this bottle is just a fraction of the shit you deserve, right?” he asked. “I wanted to give you a whole hell of a lot more than this scotch, but I wasn’t sure how to cram 20 years of friendship into a paper bag.”

“Don’t go getting all soft on me, Castle,” Curt smiled. He patted Frank’s shoulder and left his hand there. The weight of that hand said everything that he didn’t.

“Hey, I’m gonna go put this away. This shit is way too nice to open right now,” he patted Frank’s arm one more time. “Why don’t you go have some of the cheap booze us commoners drink?”

“Nah, I’m all good. Just wanted to drop off your present.”

“Aw, come on,” Curt said, sounding disappointed. “Just a drink or two.”

“I’ll pass, Curt.”

“Well, at least have a bite to eat,” he pressed. “Or a piece of cake?” He seemed a little too eager for Frank’s liking.

“What’s going on, Curt?” he eyed his friend suspiciously.

“Just want to make sure you make the most of your time outside of that apartment. Who knows the next time I’ll see you in daylight and not bleeding to death.”

Frank just kept eyeing Curt, eventually deciding to accept the answer. Though he wasn’t sure he believed him.

“Alright,” he answered, still skeptical. “One drink.”

“Or two?”

“One, Curt.”

“Alright, Castle. One drink,” he said. He made his way back toward the house with his present in hand, turning and walking backwards to yell to Frank. “Make sure you speak to Delia before you go. She never believes me when I tell her you’re doing fine.”

Frank mock saluted him with two fingers and turned away from him.

Frank scanned the backyard, looking through the crowd of people until he saw his buddy’s old lady.

He finally spotted her standing near a small makeshift bar, obviously where Curt had spent most of the party. She just happened to be chatting with one of the guests, one who was all too familiar. Frank rolled his eyes internally at Curt, who had no doubt been trying to get him alone with the man in question.

Delia’s head was thrown back in laughter at whatever joke Red had eased into the conversation. Of course the guy was charming the pants off the poor woman. As he usually did in the presence of beautiful people.

“Hey, lady,” Frank said once he reached them, interrupting the conversation with a hand on her shoulder.

“Frank!” she smiled brightly. She turned toward him and wrapped him up in a friendly hug. “How have you been? You’re eating well, I hope?”

“I’m doing good, Del,” he smiled at the questions.

“Yeah, I don’t know how many times I’ve heard that before,” she rolled her eyes. “I put away some leftovers for you in the fridge. I’ll go make sure Curt hasn’t dug into them.”

“I appreciate it,” Frank said. He really did. It wasn’t often you came across people with nothing but good intentions. Curt and Delia were two of a kind.

She patted his arm again and turned back to Red. “I’ll see you later, Matt.” She stared at them awkwardly for a few seconds before she walked away. Yeah, she was in on Curt’s little plan, too.

“Talk to you later,” Red smiled. As she made her way toward the house, he turned his attention to Frank. Frank settled into the spot Delia had just left, leaning against the table just close enough to Red that their shoulders brushed together.

“Fancy seeing you here,” Frank told him.

Frank was a little surprised to see Red at the party, though he guessed he shouldn’t be. Curt had done his best to be by Frank’s side and support him during that Goddamned trial, which seemed like a lifetime ago now.

At the time, Frank couldn’t have cared less what the jury decided, which pissed off his lawyers to no end. But Curt had stuck by him. Rooting for his dumb ass the whole way.

Once everything was over, Curt and Red kept in contact. He had no idea about Red’s nightlife, but Frank knew the two of them were still pretty good friends.

Curt was grateful that Frank had somebody else in his corner that he could trust. And maybe he could see what he and Red had between the two of them long before Frank ever did. Curt was good like that.

Either way, Frank was just glad that two of the best men he knew were stupid enough to stick by his side all these years.

“You too,” Red said, the smirk clear as day in his voice. “I can’t remember the last time I’ve spoken to you in daylight.”

“You’re one to talk, Red,” Frank said. He was doing his best to tamp down his smile even though he knew it wouldn’t make a damned bit of difference. Red couldn’t see his face, but he could always tell.

“Besides, I’m pretty sure I was still in your apartment when you left work a couple of days ago. It was daylight then.”

Red was full on smiling now, obviously remembering the most recent morning Frank had spent in his bed. He took a sip of his drink before he responded. “That doesn’t count, Frank.”

“Does to me,” Frank smirked back. He reached over and plucked the cup out of Red’s hands, taking a sip for himself.

“The unclaimed drinks not good enough for you?” he asked.

“Nope,” Frank deadpanned, taking another sip as he casually eyed the other guests. He wondered where Curt had hidden himself so that he could survey the two of them.

“Curt’s trying to get the two of us together.”

“Really?” Red asked. Frank could tell by his tone that this wasn’t news to him.

“Yup,” he smiled. “What do you suppose we do about that?”

“Well, I don’t know,” Red said, leaning forward to retrieve his stolen drink. “Maybe he’s got the right idea. It’s about time we hung out like normal people. We could even go on an actual date.”

Frank’s heart skipped at the mention of that idea. Less from nervousness and more from excitement, this time. He hoped that if Red was listening, he could tell the difference.

Frank had been pussyfootin’ around the idea of going all the way with Red for a while now. All the blood they’d spilled together, plus all the late nights and early mornings had opened Frank’s eyes to how important Red was to him.

And Red would never admit it himself but the man was a saint. He was good in all the ways Frank wasn’t. And when it came down to it, Red was stronger than Frank could ever hope to be.

“We just went on a date a couple days ago.”

“Again,” Red smiled, “Not a date, Castle. Despite how much fun we had.”

Frank’s dick twitched at the tone of Red’s voice. It always got the deep, sexy sound to it after he’d had one too many beers. Right before Red would crawl into his lap or slam him up against a wall and give him one of the hottest kisses he’d ever had.

Maybe after the party, Frank would have to take him on another one of those ‘dates’. But he had to take care of something first. It was time for Frank to get off his ass and be a man.

“Fair enough,” Frank said. “Well, I don’t know about a date. But would you settle for a dance?”

“What?” Matt’s eyebrows shot up over the rims of his glasses. Frank wanted to laugh, but he was wrong when he said that his nerves had completely gone.

“Come on, Red.” Frank pushed off of the table and stood in front of Red, holding out a hand. “Dance with me.”

Matt still hadn’t gotten up from the table. He just kept on leaning there, eyebrows still in the same place. “You serious, Frank?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” he asked. “Let me give you a taste of what it’s like to go on a date with yours truly.”

”Now get your ass over here. I love this song.”

Red smiled, shaking his head like he didn’t know what the hell he was getting into. But he’d better get used to it. This wasn’t the last dance Frank planned on having with his man.

Red took his hand and Frank pulled him up to his feet. “You’re full of surprises, Castle.”

Frank lead him to the center of the backyard where everybody was moving to the music. It had slowed down a bit to where other couples were swaying to the music instead of full on dancing.

He pulled Red to his chest and moved softy to the beat. “How’s that, Red?”

“One, I had no idea you danced,” he said to Frank in all seriousness. “Two, I didn’t know you liked Amy Winehouse.”

“Who doesn’t like Amy Winehouse?” he asked incredulously.

Red laughed again. “Fair point.”

As they danced, Curt and Delia came up to them and his friend clapped him on the shoulder. “It’s about time, Frank.”

“Fuck you,” he told him without missing a beat. Curt just laughed as Delia reached out and patted Matt’s shoulder.

“I’m glad you two could make it,” she smiled brightly, before turning back to her man. “Come on, birthday boy. You owe me a dance.”

She dragged Curt to the center of the party, where everybody immediately started to cheer. People whooped and clapped him on the back as he and Del started dancing. Somebody put on Maze and Frankie Beverly and the entire crowd couldn’t help but move as they watched the lovebirds hold each other.

Frank and Red backed off with the rest of the guests, creating a circle around the the guest of honor as he danced. Frank clapped for his brother for a minute or two before he leaned over to speak to Red.

“Let’s get out of here,” he whispered.

“You read my mind,” Red whispered back. “You don’t wanna say bye to Curt?”

“I’ll catch him later. Right now, you owe me another date.”

Red just laughed and grabbed his hand. He held it softly at first, but once Frank squeezed his back, he tightened his grip.

“Lead the way, Castle.”

**Author's Note:**

> as always, i hope i did these characters justice. lmk if you enjoyed it!
> 
> hmu at @maniskordaze on twitter and tumblr!


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